Expression cloning of a GM3-specific alpha-2,8-sialyltransferase (GD3 synthase)

Isolation of 10 differentially expressed cDNAs in differentiated Neuro2a cells induced through controlled expression of the GD3 synthase gene

Recently, we showed that transfection of GD3 synthase cDNA into Neuro2a cells, a mouse neuroblastoma cell line, causes cell differentiation with neurite sprouting. In a search for the genes involved in this ganglioside-induced Neuro2a differentiation, we used a tetracycline-regulated GD3 synthase cDNA expression system combined with differential display PCRs to identify mRNAs that were differentially expressed at four representative time points during the process. We report here the identification of 10 mRNAs that are expressed highly at the Neuro2a differentiated stage. These cDNAs were named GDAP1-GDAP10 for (ganglioside-induced differentiation-associated protein) cDNAs. It is interesting that in retinoic acid-induced neural differentiated mouse embryonic carcinoma P19 cells, GDAP mRNA expression levels were also up-regulated (except that of GDAP3), ranging from three to >10 times compared with nondifferentiated P19 cells. All the GDAP genes (except that of GDAP3) were developmentally regulated. The GDAP1, 2, 6, 8, and 10 mRNAs were expressed highly in the adult mouse brain, whereas all the other GDAP mRNAs were expressed in most tissues. Our results suggested that these GDAP genes might be involved in the signal transduction pathway that is triggered through the expression of a single sialyltransferase gene to induce neurite-like differentiation of Neuro2a cells.

Molecular cloning of a novel alpha2,3-sialyltransferase (ST3Gal VI) that sialylates type II lactosamine structures on glycoproteins and glycolipids

A novel member of the human CMP-NeuAc:beta-galactoside alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase (ST) subfamily, designated ST3Gal VI, was identified based on BLAST analysis of expressed sequence tags, and a cDNA clone was isolated from a human melanoma line library. The sequence of ST3Gal VI encoded a type II membrane protein with 2 amino acids of cytoplasmic domain, 32 amino acids of transmembrane region, and a large catalytic domain with 297 amino acids; and showed homology to previously cloned ST3Gal III, ST3Gal IV, and ST3Gal V at 34, 38, and 33%, respectively. Extracts from L cells transfected with ST3Gal VI cDNA in a expression vector and a fusion protein with protein A showed an enzyme activity of alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase toward Galbeta1,4GlcNAc structure on glycoproteins and glycolipids. In contrast to ST3Gal III and ST3Gal IV, this enzyme exhibited restricted substrate specificity, i.e. it utilized Galbeta1,4GlcNAc on glycoproteins, and neolactotetraosylceramide and neolactohexaosylceramide, but not lactotetraosylceramide, lactosylceramide, or asialo-GM1. Consequently, these data indicated that this enzyme is involved in the synthesis of sialyl-paragloboside, a precursor of sialyl-Lewis X determinant.

Molecular cloning and functional expression of two members of mouse NeuAcalpha2,3Galbeta1,3GalNAc GalNAcalpha2,6-sialyltransferase family, ST6GalNAc III and IV

Two cDNA clones encoding NeuAcalpha2,3Galbeta1,3GalNAc GalNAcalpha2, 6-sialyltransferase have been isolated from mouse brain cDNA libraries. One of the cDNA clones is a homologue of previously reported rat ST6GalNAc III according to the amino acid sequence identity (94.4%) and the substrate specificity of the expressed recombinant enzyme, while the other cDNA clone includes an open reading frame coding for 302 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence is not identical to those of other cloned mouse sialyltransferases, although it shows the highest sequence similarity with mouse ST6GalNAc III (43.0%). The expressed soluble recombinant enzyme exhibited activity toward NeuAcalpha2, 3Galbeta1, 3GalNAc, fetuin, and GM1b, while no significant activity was detected toward Galbeta1,3GalNAc or asialofetuin, or the other glycoprotein substrates tested. The sialidase sensitivity of the 14C-sialylated residue of fetuin, which was sialylated by this enzyme with CMP-[14C]NeuAc, was the same as that of ST6GalNAc III. These results indicate that the expressed enzyme is a new type of GalNAcalpha2,6-sialyltransferase, which requires sialic acid residues linked to Galbeta1,3GalNAc residues for its activity; therefore, we designated it mouse ST6GalNAc IV. Although the substrate specificity of this enzyme is similar to that of ST6GalNAc III, ST6GalNAc IV prefers O-glycans to glycolipids. Glycolipids, however, are better substrates for ST6GalNAc III.

Relationship of glycosyltransferases and mRNA levels to ganglioside expression in neuroblastoma and melanoma cells

Most human neuroblastoma tumors are characterized by the high expression of GD2 (or GD2 and/or GM2) gangliosides, whereas melanomas characteristically express GD3 ganglioside. The molecular basis for these patterns was investigated by examining the relationship between ganglioside levels, glycosyltransferase (GM2/GD2 synthase and GD3 synthase) activity, and corresponding mRNA levels in a panel of human neuroblastoma and melanoma cell lines. In general, the ganglioside patterns could be explained by the levels of the transferases and their mRNA, indicating control at the level of transcription. A key role was noted for GD3 synthase. Notably, it was found that neuroblastoma cell lines with high GD2 ganglioside levels had low levels of GD3, its synthase, and mRNA for the enzyme even though this step provides the substrate for GD2 synthesis. The key role for GD3 synthase was also examined by stably transfecting GD3 synthase cDNA into a neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) not expressing GD3 and GD2. The resulting cell line had high levels of GD2 ganglioside and altered morphology and growth characteristics.

Differential and cooperative polysialylation of the neural cell adhesion molecule by two polysialyltransferases, PST and STX

PST and STX are polysialyltransferases that form polysialic acid in the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and these two polysialyltransferases often exist together in the same tissues. To determine the individual and combined roles of PST and STX in polysialic acid synthesis, in the present study we asked if PST and STX differ in the acceptor requirement and if PST and STX act together in polysialylation of NCAM. We first examined whether PST and STX differ in the requirement of sialic acid and core structures of N-glycans attached to NCAM. Polysialic acid was formed well on Lec4 and Lec13 cells, which are defective in N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V and GDP-fucose synthesis, respectively, demonstrating that a side chain elongating from GlcNAcbeta1-->6Manalpha1-->6R and alpha-1,6-linked fucose are not required. PST and STX were found to add polysialic acid on NCAM.Fc molecules sialylated by alpha-2,3- or alpha-2,6-linkage in vitro, but not on NCAM.Fc lacking either sialic acid. These results indicate that both PST and STX have relatively broad specificity on N-glycan core structures in NCAM and no remarkable difference exists between PST and STX for the requirement of core structures and sialic acid attached to the N-glycans of NCAM. We then, using various N-glycosylation site mutants of NCAM, discovered that PST strongly prefer the sixth N-glycosylation site, which is the closest to the transmembrane domain, over the fifth site. STX slightly prefer the sixth N-glycosylation site over the fifth N-glycosylation site. The results also demonstrated that polysialic acid synthesized by PST is larger than that synthesized by STX in vitro. Moreover, a mixture of PST and STX more efficiently synthesized polysialic acid on NCAM than PST or STX alone. These results suggest that polysialylation of NCAM is influenced by the difference between PST and STX in their preference for N-glycosylation sites on NCAM. The results also suggest that PST and STX form polysialylated NCAM in a synergistic manner.

Polysialic acid, a unique glycan that is developmentally regulated by two polysialyltransferases, PST and STX, in the central nervous system: from biosynthesis to function

Polysialic acid is a developmentally regulated carbohydrate composed of a linear homopolymer of alpha-2,8-linked sialic acid residues. This unique glycan is mainly attached to the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) and implicated in many morphogenic events of the neural cells by modulating the adhesive property of N-CAM. Recently, the cDNA that encodes polysialyltransferase, which is responsible for the polysialylation of N-CAM, was successfully cloned from three mammalian species. This review focuses on the molecular cloning of human polysialyltransferase, designated PST. It then describes the number of enzymes actually required for the polysialylation of N-CAM using an in vitro polysialyltransferase assay. Comparisons between PST and another polysialyltransferase, sialyltransferase X (STX), are made and it is demonstrated that both enzymes can independently form polysialic acid in vitro, but that during neural development they coordinately but distinctly synthesize polysialic acid on N-CAM. The role of polysialic acid in the central nervous system is also discussed. Finally, evidence that the two polysialyltransferases, PST and STX, apparently have distinct roles in the development of neural cells is provided by using a neurite outgrowth assay.

Mutation of the sialyltransferase S-sialylmotif alters the kinetics of the donor and acceptor substrates

Protein sequence analysis of the cloned sialyltransferase gene family has revealed the presence of two conserved protein motifs in the middle of the lumenal catalytic domain, termed L-sialylmotif and S-sialylmotif. In our previous study (Datta, A. K., and Paulson, J. C. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 1497-1500) the larger L-sialylmotif of ST6Gal I was analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis, which provided evidence that it participates in the binding of the CMP-NeuAc, a common donor substrate for all the sialyltransferases. However, none of the mutants tested in this motif had any significant effect on their binding affinities toward the acceptor substrate asialo alpha1-acid glycoprotein. In this study, we have investigated the role of the S-sialylmotif of the same enzyme ST6Gal I. In total, nine mutants have been constructed by changing the conserved amino acids of this motif to mostly alanine by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis for the mutants which retained sialyltransferase activity showed that the mutations in the S-sialylmotif caused a change of Km values for both the donor and the acceptor substrates. Our results indicated that this motif participates in the binding of both the substrates. A sequence homology search also supported this finding, which showed that the downstream amino acid sequence of the S-sialylmotif is conserved for each subgroup of this enzyme family, indicating its association with the acceptor substrate.

Influence of N-glycosylation and N-glycan trimming on the activity and intracellular traffic of GD3 synthase

GD3 synthase (ST8Sia I) transfers a sialic acid in alpha-2-->8 linkage to the sialic acid moiety of GM3 to form the ganglioside GD3. The cDNAs of GD3 synthases predict several putative N-glycosylation sites. In this work we have examined the occupancy of these sites in a chicken GD3 synthase and how they affect its activity and intracellular traffic. COS-7 cells were transfected with an influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged form of GD3 synthase (GD3 synthase-HA). Cells acquired GD3 synthase activity, cell surface GD3 immunoexpression, and GD3 synthase-HA immunoreactivity in the Golgi complex. In Western blots, a main GD3 synthase-HA band of 47 kDa was detected, which was radioactive upon metabolic labeling with [2-3H] mannose. Tunicamycin prevented the incorporation of [2-3H]mannose into GD3 synthase-HA, blocked the enzyme activity, and promoted a reduction of the enzyme molecular mass of 6-7 kDa. Timed deglycosylation with N-glycosidase F showed that all three potential N-glycosylation sites of GD3 synthase-HA were glycosylated. The deglycosylated forms were enzymatically more unstable than the native form. Tunicamycin treatment of cells led to retention of GD3 synthase-HA immunoreactivity in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Castanospermine and deoxynojirimycin, inhibitors of the ER-processing enzymes alpha-glucosidases I and II, also prevented the exit from the ER but did not essentially affect the enzyme specific activity. 1-Deoxymannojirimycin and swainsonine, inhibitors of mannosidases, did not affect either the enzyme activity or the Golgi localization. Results indicate that (a) N-glycosylation is necessary for GD3 synthase to attain and to maintain a catalytically active folding, and for exiting the ER; and (b) N-glycan trimming in the ER, while not required for enzyme activity, is necessary for proper trafficking of GD3 synthase to the Golgi complex.

Induction of sialic acid 9-O-acetylation by diverse gene products: implications for the expression cloning of sialic acid O-acetyltransferases

Sialic acids can be modified by O-acetyl esters at the 7- and/or 9-position, altering recognition by antibodies, lectins and viruses. 9(7)-O-acetylation is mediated by a sialic acid-specific O-acetyltransferase, which has proven difficult to purify. Two groups have recently isolated cDNAs possibly encoding this enzyme, by expression cloning of human melanoma libraries in COS cells expressing the substrate ganglioside GD3. Pursuing a similar approach, we have isolated additional clones that can induce 9-O-acetylation. One clone present in a melanoma library encodes a fusion protein between a bacterial tetracycline resistance gene repressor and a sequence reported to be part of the P3 plasmid. Expression of the open reading frame is necessary for inducing 9-O-acetylation, indicating that this is not a reaction to the introduction of bacterial DNA. Another clone from a rat liver cDNA library induced 9-O-acetylation on COS cells expressing alpha2-6-linked sialic acids, and encodes an open reading frame identical to the Vitamin D binding protein. However, truncation at the 5' end eliminates the amino-terminal hydrophobic signal sequence, predicting cytosolic hyperexpression of a truncated protein. Thus, diverse types of cDNAs can indirectly induce sialic acid 9-O-acetylation in the COS cell system, raising the possibility that the real enzyme may be composed of multiple subunits which would not be amenable to expression cloning. Importantly, the cDNAs we isolated are highly specific in their ability to induce 9-O-acetylation either on alpha2-6-linked sialic acids of glycoproteins (truncated vitamin D binding protein) or on the alpha2-8-linked sialic acids of gangliosides (Tetrfusion protein). These data confirm our prior suggestion that a family of O-acetyltransferases with distinctive substrate specificities exists in mammalian systems.

Expression cloning of cDNA encoding a human beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase that is essential for poly-N-acetyllactosamine synthesis

The structure and biosynthesis of poly-N-acetyllactosamine display a dramatic change during development and oncogenesis. Poly-N-acetyllactosamines are also modified by various carbohydrate residues, forming functional oligosaccharides such as sialyl Lex. Herein we describe the isolation and functional expression of a cDNA encoding beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (iGnT), an enzyme that is essential for the formation of poly-N-acetyllactosamine. For this expression cloning, Burkitt lymphoma Namalwa KJM-1 cells were transfected with cDNA libraries derived from human melanoma and colon carcinoma cells. Transfected Namalwa cells overexpressing the i antigen were continuously selected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting because introduced plasmids containing Epstein-Barr virus replication origin can be continuously amplified as episomes. Sibling selection of plasmids recovered after the third consecutive sorting resulted in a cDNA clone that directs the increased expression of i antigen on the cell surface. The deduced amino acid sequence indicates that this protein has a type II membrane protein topology found in almost all mammalian glycosyltransferases cloned to date. iGnT, however, differs in having the longest transmembrane domain among glycosyltransferases cloned so far. The iGnT transcript is highly expressed in fetal brain and kidney and adult brain but expressed ubiquitously in various adult tissues. The expression of the presumed catalytic domain as a fusion protein with the IgG binding domain of protein A enabled us to demonstrate that the cDNA encodes iGnT, the enzyme responsible for the formation of GlcNAcbeta1 --> 3Galbeta1 --> 4GlcNAc --> R structure and poly-N-acetyllactosamine extension.

Cloning, characterization and developmental expression of alpha2,8 sialyltransferase (GD3 synthase, ST8Sia I) gene in chick brain and retina

GD3 and GM2 synthases act on ganglioside GM3 at the branching point of the pathway of synthesis of gangliosides in which the "a", "b" and "c" families are produced. The relative activities of these enzymes are important for regulating the ganglioside composition of a given tissue. In the present work, we report the cloning and characterization of a chick GD3 synthase cDNA. The cloned cDNA directed the synthesis of a functionally active enzyme in transiently transfected CHO-K1 cells and was highly homologous to mammalian GD3 synthases. In Northern blot experiments the cDNA detected a single specific GD3 synthase mRNA of about 9.0 kb both in the chicken brain and retina. The abundance of the specific mRNA transcript declined steadily from E7-E9 to very low values around PN2. The levels of enzyme activities measured at the same developmental stages roughly followed the changes of specific mRNA levels in both tissues. In situ hybridization of embryonic neural retina cells in culture showed that both glial- and neuron-like cells expressed the specific GD3 synthase mRNA, although with different intensities. Results indicate that transcription and/or stability of the specific GD3 synthase mRNA constitute a level of control of the expression of GD3 synthase and indirectly of the ganglioside composition in the developing chicken central nervous system (CNS).

Requirement for GD3 ganglioside in CD95- and ceramide-induced apoptosis

Gangliosides participate in development and tissue differentiation. Cross-linking of the apoptosis-inducing CD95 protein (also called Fas or APO-1) in lymphoid and myeloid tumor cells triggered GD3 ganglioside synthesis and transient accumulation. CD95-induced GD3 accumulation depended on integral receptor "death domains" and on activation of a family of cysteine proteases called caspases. Cell-permeating ceramides, which are potent inducers of apoptosis, also triggered GD3 synthesis. GD3 disrupted mitochondrial transmembrane potential (DeltaPsim), and induced apoptosis, in a caspase-independent fashion. Transient overexpression of the GD3 synthase gene directly triggered apoptosis. Pharmacological inhibition of GD3 synthesis and exposure to GD3 synthase antisense oligodeoxynucleotides prevented CD95-induced apoptosis. Thus, GD3 ganglioside mediates the propagation of CD95-generated apoptotic signals in hematopoietic cells.

Molecular cloning and expression of human alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (hST8Sia V)

The cDNA encoding human alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (hST8Sia V) which exhibits activity toward gangliosides, GM1b, GD1a, GT1b, and GD3, was isolated by screening of human brain cDNA library with a DNA probe generated from the cDNA sequence of mouse ST8Sia V (mST8Sia V) and by 5'-RACE of mRNA from human brain tissue. Comparative analysis of this cDNA with mST8Sia V showed that each sequence of the predicted coding region contains 84% identity in both nucleotide and amino acid. Northern analysis of this cDNA indicated that, in contrast to mST8Sia V, two different sizes of transcripts corresponding to 11 and 2.5 kb were expressed in both human fetal and adult brain, while the transcript of 2.5 kb was detected only in adult heart and skeletal muscle. The enzyme expressed in COS cells showed a substrate specificity very similar to that of mST8Sia V.

Molecular cloning and expression of a fifth type of alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8Sia V). Its substrate specificity is similar to that of SAT-V/III, which synthesize GD1c, GT1a, GQ1b and GT3

The cDNAs encoding a new alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8Sia V) were cloned from a mouse brain cDNA library by means of a polymerase chain reaction-based method using the nucleotide sequence information on mouse ST8Sia I (GD3 synthase) and mouse ST8Sia III (Siaalpha2,3Galbeta1,4GlcNAcalpha2,8-sialyltransferase ), both of which exhibit activity toward glycolipids. The predicted amino acid sequence of ST8Sia V shows 36.1% and 15.0% identity to those of mouse ST8Sia I and III, respectively. The recombinant protein A-fused ST8Sia V expressed in COS-7 cells exhibited an alpha2, 8-sialyltransferase activity toward GM1b, GD1a, GT1b, and GD3, and synthesized GD1c, GT1a, GQ1b, and GT3, respectively. The apparent Km values for GM1b, GD1a, GT1b and GD3 were 1.1, 0.082, 0.070, and 0.28 mM, respectively. However, ST8Sia V did not exhibit activity toward GM3. Thus, the substrate specificity of ST8Sia V is different from those of ST8Sia I and III, both of which exhibit activity toward GM3. Transfection of the ST8Sia V gene into COS-7 cells, which express GD1a as a major glycolipid, led to the expression of determinants for monoclonal antibody 4F10, which recognizes GT1a and GQ1b, suggesting that ST8Sia V exhibits activity toward gangliosides GD1a and/or GT1b in vivo. The expression of the ST8Sia V gene was tissue- and developmental stage-specific, and was clearly different from those of other alpha2,8-sialyltransferase genes. The ST8Sia V gene was strongly expressed in the brain and weakly in other tissues such as the liver. In addition, its expression was greater in the adult than fetal brain. These results strongly indicate that ST8Sia V is a candidate for SAT-V, the alpha2,8-sialyltransferase involved in GD1c, GT1a, GQ1b, and GT3 synthesis.

UDP-sugar pyrophosphatase of rat retina: subcellular localization and topography

Rat retinal tissue possesses as a developmentally regulated, highly active pyrophosphatase activity that hydrolyzes UDP-GalNAc and UDP-Gal but not CMP-NeuAc (Martina et al.: J Neurochem 62:1274-1280, 1995). We show here that this activity, measured with UDP-[3H]GalNAc as substrate, is associated to the membrane fraction of rat retinal homogenates and, upon subfractionation by isopycnic centrifugation in sucrose density gradients, is concentrated in fractions enriched in light Golgi membranes. We examined also the topographic disposition of the catalytic site of the enzyme in the transverse plane of the membranes by measuring the effect of protease treatment and of added EDTA on its activity. Pronase inhibited 50% of the translocation of UDP-[3H]GalNAc to the lumen of the Golgi vesicles but did not affect the enzyme activity either in the absence or in the presence of detergent. EDTA, a membrane-impermeant molecule, inhibited 90% of the activity of the enzyme but did not affect translocation of UDP-[3H]GalNAc and inhibited only 25% the incorporation of [3H]GalNAc into endogenous glycoconjugates. These results indicate that the translocation of UDP-[3H]GalNAc was not necessary for hydrolysis to occur and strongly suggest that the catalytic site of the UDP-sugar pyrophosphatase is oriented toward the cytosolic side of the Golgi vesicles. We speculate that this activity limits the availability of UDP-GalNAc to its specific translocator and, consequently, the luminal concentration of the nucleotide in the Golgi vesicles. In this way, by limiting the availability of UDP-GalNAc for the conversion of GM3 to GM2 by the GM3:N-acetyl-galactosaminyl transferase, it would contribute to the preferential use of GM3 for synthesis of GD3 and other "b" pathway gangliosides that are characteristic of the rat retina.

New evidence for the occurrence of a glycolipid-mediated signal transduction system

Gangliosides have attracted particular attention in the field of brain research, since they were found not only to be abundant in neural tissue but also to have intricate structures in synaptic membranes. A murine neuroblastoma cell line, Neuro2a, expresses negligible amounts of GM3 and b-series gangliosides, but significant amounts of a-series gangliosides (GM1 and GD1a). With the transfection of cDNA encoding GD3 synthase, the de novo synthesis and expression of GD3 and b-series gangliosides occurred, and, furthermore, it induced the growth of axon-like neurites and cholinergic differentiation of Neuro2a cells. On the other hand, with the transfection of an alpha 1,2-fucosyltransferase, the axon-like neurite outgrowth was suppressed and dendrite-like neurites were outgrowth. These observations directly demonstrate the primary importance of the gene expression of a glycosyltransferase, and of the subsequent biosynthesis of gangliosides and their expression on the cell surface for neural cell development and differentiation.

Characterization of mouse ST8Sia II (STX) as a neural cell adhesion molecule-specific polysialic acid synthase. Requirement of core alpha1,6-linked fucose and a polypeptide chain for polysialylation

We previously showed that mouse ST8Sia II (STX) exhibits polysialic acid (PSA) synthase activity in vivo as well as in vitro (Kojima, N., Yoshida, Y., and Tsuji, S. (1995) FEBS Lett. 373, 119-122, 1995). In this paper, we reported that the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) was specifically polysialylated by a single enzyme, ST8Sia II. PSA-expressing Neuro2a cells (N2a-STX) were established by stable transfection of the mouse ST8Sia II gene. Only the 140- and 180-kDa isoforms of NCAM in N2a-STX cells were specifically polysialylated in vivo, although other membrane proteins of N2a-STX were polysialylated in vitro. A recombinant soluble mouse ST8Sia II synthesized PSA on a recombinant soluble NCAM fused with the Fc region of human IgG1 (NCAM-Fc) as well as fetuin. However, NCAM-Fc served as a 1500-fold better acceptor for ST8Sia II than fetuin. Treatment of NCAM-Fc with Charonia lampas alpha-fucosidase, which is able to cleave alpha1,6-linked fucose, clearly reduced the polysialylation of NCAM-Fc by ST8Sia II. PSA was not synthesized on the N-glycanase-treated NCAM-Fc polypeptide or the free N-glycans of NCAM-Fc. When fetuin and its glycopeptide and N-glycans of fetuin were used as substrates for ST8Sia II, PSA was found to be synthesized on native fetuin and its glycopeptide but not on free N-glycans. These results strongly suggested that core alpha1, 6-fucose on N-glycans as well as the antennary structures of N-glycans and the polypeptide regions are required for the polysialylation by ST8Sia II. Furthermore, oligo and single alpha2, 8-sialylated glycoproteins were no longer polysialylated by mouse ST8Sia II. Therefore, the single enzyme, ST8Sia II, directly transferred all alpha2,8-sialic acid residues on the alpha2,3-linked sialic acids of N-glycans of specific NCAM isoforms to yield PSA-NCAM. Polysialylation did not require any initiator alpha2, 8-sialyltransferase but did depend on the carbohydrate and protein structures of NCAM.

Linkage-specific action of endogenous sialic acid O-acetyltransferase in Chinese hamster ovary cells

9-O-Acetylation of sialic acids shows cell type-specific and developmentally regulated expression in various systems. In a given cell type, O-acetylation can also be specific to a particular type of glycoconjugate. It is assumed that this regulation is achieved by control of expression of specific 9-O-acetyltransferases. However, it has been difficult to test this hypothesis, as these enzymes have so far proven intractable to purification or molecular cloning. During a cloning attempt, we discovered that while polyoma T antigen-positive Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-Tag cells) do not normally express cell-surface 9-O-acetylation, they do so when transiently transfected with a cDNA encoding the lactosamine-specific alpha2-6-sialyltransferase (Galbeta1-4GlcNAc:alpha2-6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I); formerly ST6N). This phenomenon is reproducible by stable expression of ST6Gal I in parental CHO cells, but not upon transfection of the competing lactosamine-specific alpha2-3-sialyltransferase (Galbeta1-(3)4GlcNAc:alpha2-3-sialyltransferase; (ST6Gal III) formerly ST3N) into either cell type. Further analyses of stably transfected parental CHO-K1 cells indicated that expression of the ST6Gal I gene causes selective 9-O-acetylation of alpha2-6-linked sialic acid residues on N-linked oligosaccharides. In a similar manner, while the alpha2-3-linked sialic acid residue of the endogenous GM3 ganglioside of CHO cells is not O-acetylated, transfection of an alpha2-8-sialyltransferase (GM3:alpha2-8-sialyltransferase (ST8Sia I); formerly GD3 synthase) caused expression of 9-O-acetylation of the alpha2-8-linked sialic acid residues of newly synthesized GD3. These data indicate either that linkage-specific sialic acid O-acetyltransferase(s) are constitutively expressed in CHO cells or that expression of these enzymes is secondarily induced upon expression of certain sialyltransferases. The former explanation is supported by a low level of background 9-O-acetylation found in parental CHO-K1 cells and by the finding that O-acetylation is not induced when the ST6Gal I or ST8Sia I cDNAs are overexpressed in SV40 T antigen-expressing primate (COS) cells. Taken together, these results indicate that expression of sialic acid 9-O-acetylation can be regulated by the action of specific sialyltransferases that alter the predominant linkage of the terminal sialic acids found on specific classes of glycoconjugates.

Molecular cloning and genomic analysis of mouse Galbeta1, 3GalNAc-specific GalNAc alpha2,6-sialyltransferase

cDNA and genomic clones encoding mouse Galbeta1, 3GalNAc-specific GalNAc alpha2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6GalNAc II) were isolated, and the structure organization of the gene was determined. The predicted amino acid sequence is 57.4% identical to the chick ST6GalNAc II sequence but 33.8% identical to the chick ST6GalNA I (GalNAc alpha2, 6-sialyltransferase) sequence. The ST6GalNAc II gene is constitutively expressed in various mouse tissues but highly expressed in lactating mammary gland and adult testis. The gene contains nine exons spanning about 25 kilobases of genomic DNA and encodes a messenger RNA of 1995 nucleotides. Primer extension and S1 nuclease protection analysis of submaxillary gland mRNA showed that the transcription of the ST6GalNAc II gene starts from 68 nucleotides upstream from the translation start site. Characterization of 5'-flanking genomic regions indicated that the Galbeta1,3GalNAc-specific GalNAc alpha2,6-sialyltransferase promoter is embedded in a G+C-rich domain and contains no TATA or CAAT box but has putative binding sites for transcription factors Sp1 and AP-2. Transient transfection experiments involving luciferase reporter genes demonstrated promoter activity in NIH3T3 cells.

Acceptor substrate specificity of a cloned GD3 synthase that catalyzes the biosynthesis of both GD3 and GD1c/GT1a/GQ1b

To address the role of alpha2,8-sialyltransferase (GD3 synthase) in the biosynthesis of gangliosides, we examined the substrate specificity of the enzyme. In the ganglioside synthesis pathway, it has been generally accepted that sialyltransferase II (SAT II) catalyzes the production of GD3 from GM3, and sialyltransferase V (SAT V) catalyzes the production of GD1c/GT1a/GQ1b from GM1h/GD1a/GT1b. However, acceptor specificity of the clones GD3 synthase that was isolated from human melanoma cells [Nara, K., Watanabe, Y., Maruyama, K., Kasahara, K., Nagai. Y. & Sanai, Y. (1994) Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 91, 7952-7956] has revealed that this enzyme utilized the gangliosides containing the terminal Sia(alpha2-3)Gas structure of the carbohydrate moiety, which includes GM3, GM1b, GD1a and GT1B as exogenous substrates. Kinetic data also showed that the enzyme was able to utilize both GM3 and GM1b/GD1a/GT1b as acceptor substrates. These data indicate that the enzyme catalyzes the formation of not only GD3 but also GD1c, GT1a, and GQ1B in vitro. Furthermore, by transfection of the cloned human alpha2,8-sialyltransferase cDNA, transient and stable expression of GT1a and GQ1b wa also observed in COS-7 cells and Swiss 3T3 cells that originally lacked SAT II and SAT V activities. These observations indicate that the enzyme has both SAT II and SAT V activities in vivo.

Site restricted and neuron dominant expression of alpha 2,8sialyltransferase gene in the adult mouse brain and retina

Gene expression of the alpha 2,8sialyltransferase (alpha 2,8S-T) responsible for GD3 synthesis in the adult mouse brain and retina was analysed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction/Southern blotting (RT-PCR/Southern) and in situ hybridization. Among various portions of the brain, high levels of 9.5 kb mRNA were observed in the retina and midbrain. Results of RT-PCR/Southern did not necessarily correlate with the enzyme activities in the individual sites. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that this gene was characteristically expressed in the inner segment of photoreceptor cells, some nuclei in the midbrain, cranial nerve nuclei in the pons-medulla, Purkinje cells in the cerebellum, pyramidal cells of the hippocampus and granular cells of the dentate gyrus. In the retina, the alpha 2,8S-T gene was broadly expressed over the layers during development, and retained high expression levels in the photoreceptor cells of adult mice consistent with high expression of GD3. Destruction of neurons in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus by injection of kainic acid and colchicine respectively resulted in the disappearance of the hybridization signal, suggesting that the alpha 2,8S-T gene was mainly expressed by neurons.

Molecular cloning of a developmentally regulated N-acetylgalactosamine alpha2,6-sialyltransferase specific for sialylated glycoconjugates

A cDNA encoding a novel sialyltransferase has been isolated employing the polymerase chain reaction using degenerate primers to conserved regions of the sialylmotif that is present in all eukaryotic members of the sialyltransferase gene family examined to date. The cDNA sequence revealed an open reading frame coding for 305 amino acids, making it the shortest sialyltransferase cloned to date. This open reading frame predicts all the characteristic structural features of other sialyltransferases including a type II membrane protein topology and both sialylmotifs, one centrally located and the second in the carboxyl-terminal portion of the cDNA. When compared with all other sialyltransferase cDNAs, the predicted amino acid sequence displays the lowest homology in the sialyltransferase gene family. Northern analysis shows this sialyltransferase to be developmentally regulated in brain with expression persisting through adulthood in spleen, kidney, and lung. Stable transfection of the full-length cDNA in the human kidney carcinoma cell line 293 produced an active sialyltransferase with marked specificity for the sialoside, Neu5Ac-alpha2,3Gal-beta1,3GalNAc and glycoconjugates carrying the same sequence such as G(M1b) and fetuin. The disialylated tetrasaccharide formed by reacting the sialyltransferase with the aforementioned sialoside was analyzed by one- and two-dimensional 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and was shown to be the Neu5Ac-alpha2,3Gal-beta1,3(Neu5Ac-alpha2,6)GalNAc sialoside. This indicates that the enzyme is a GalNAc alpha-2,6-sialyltransferase. Since two other ST6GalNAc sialyltransferase cDNAs have been isolated, this sialyltransferase has been designated ST6GalNAc III. Of these three, ST6GalNAc III displays the most restricted acceptor specificity and is the only sialyltransferase cloned to date capable of forming the developmentally regulated ganglioside G(D1alpha) from G(M1b).

A human polysialyltransferase directs in vitro synthesis of polysialic acid

Polysialic acid (PSA) is a linear homopolymer of alpha-2,8-linked sialic acid residues whose expression is developmentally regulated and modulates the adhesive property of the neural adhesion molecule, N-CAM. Recently, hamster and human cDNAs encoding polysialyltransferase (PST-1 for the hamster enzyme and PST for the human enzyme) were cloned, and by using the human cDNA it was demonstrated that the expression of PSA in N-CAM facilitates neurite outgrowth (Nakayama, J., Fukuda, M.N., Fredette, B., Ranscht, B., and Fukuda, M. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 92, 7031-7035; Eckhardt, M.A., Mühlenhoff, M., Bethe, A., Koopman, J., Frosch, M., and Gerardy-Schahn, R. (1995) Nature 373, 715-718.) Although these studies demonstrated that PST-1 and PST synthesize PSA in cultured cells, it was not shown that they could catalyze the polycondensation of alpha-2,8-linked sialic acid on a glycoconjugate template containing alpha-2,3-linked sialic acid. Here we demonstrate that PSA formation by PST is independent from the presence of N-CAM in vivo. We then develop an in vitro assay of PSA synthesis using glycoproteins other than N-CAM as acceptors and a soluble PST as an enzyme source. The soluble PST, produced as a chimeric protein fused with protein A, was incubated with rat alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, fetuin or human alpha 1-acid glycoprotein as acceptors together with the donor substrate CMP-[14C]NeuNAc. Incubation of fetuin with the soluble PST, in particular, resulted in a high molecular weight product that was susceptible to PSA-specific endoneuraminidase. Polysialylated products were not formed when alpha-2,3-linked sialic acid was removed from the acceptor fetuin before incubation. These results establish that a single enzyme, PST, alone can catalyze both the addition of the first alpha-2,8-linked sialic acid to alpha-2,3-linked sialic acid and the polycondensation of all alpha-2,8-linked sialic acids, yielding PSA.

Genomic organization and chromosomal mapping of the Gal beta 1,3GalNAc/Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase

In this report we describe the chromosome mapping and genomic organization of the human Gal beta 1,3GalNAc/Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase gene. The gene is localized to human chromosome 11(q23-q24) by in situ hybridization of metaphase chromosomes. It spans more than 25 kilobases of human genomic DNA and is distributed over 14 exons that range in size from 61 to 679 base pairs. Previous characterization of cDNAs encoding the Gal beta 1,3GalNAc/Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase revealed that the gene produces at least three transcripts in human placenta, which code for identical protein sequences except at the 5' ends (Kitagawa, H., and Paulson, J. C. (1994a) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 1394-1401). Repeated screening for clones that contain the 5' end of the cDNA has identified two additional distinct mRNAs that are expressed in human placenta. Comparison of the genomic DNA sequence with that of the five different mRNAs indicates that these transcripts are produced by a combination of alternative splicing and alternative promoter utilization. Northern analysis indicated that one of them is specifically expressed in placenta, testis, and ovary, indicating that its expression is independently regulated from the others.

Identification of the gonococcal glmU gene encoding the enzyme N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate uridyltransferase involved in the synthesis of UDP-GlcNAc

In searching for the gonococcal sialyltransferase gene(s), we cloned a 3.8-kb DNA fragment from gonococcus strain MS11 that hybridized with the oligonucleotide JU07, which was derived from the conserved C terminus of the sialyl motif present in mammalian sialyltransferases. Sequencing of the fragment revealed four putative open reading frames (ORFs), one of which (ORF-1) contained a partial sialyl motif including the amino acid sequence VGSKT, which is highly conserved among sialyltransferases. The gene was flanked by two inverted repeats containing the neisserial DNA uptake sequence and was preceded by a putative sigma 54 promoter. Database searches, however, revealed a high degree of homology between ORF-1 and the N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GlmU) of Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis and not with any known sialyltransferase. This homology was further established by the successful complementation of an orf-1 mutation by the E. coli glmU gene. Enzyme assays demonstrated that ORF-1 did not possess sialyltransferase activity but mimicked GlmU function catalyzing the conversion of N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate into UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, which is a key metabolite in the syntheses of lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan, and sialic acids.

Large-scale expression of recombinant sialyltransferases and comparison of their kinetic properties with native enzymes

Values of Km were determined for three purified sialyltransferases and the corresponding recombinant enzymes. The enzymes were Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc alpha 2-6 sialyltransferase and Gal beta 1-3(4)GlcNAc alpha 2-3 sialyltransferase from rat liver; these enzymes are responsible for the attachment of sialic acid to N-linked oligosaccharide chains; and the Gal beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 2-3 sialyltransferase from porcine submaxillary gland that is responsible for the attachment of sialic acid to O-linked glycoproteins and glycolipids. A procedure for the large scale expression of active sialyltransferases from recombinant baculovirus-infected insect cells is described. For the liver enzymes values of Km were determined using rat and human asialo alpha 1 acid glycoprotein and N-acetyllactosamine as variable substrates; lacto-N-tetraose was also used with the Gal beta 1-3(4)GlcNAc alpha 2-3 sialyltransferases. Antifreeze glycoprotein was used as the macromolecular acceptor for the porcine enzyme. Values for Km were also determined using CMP-NeuAc as the variable substrate.

CMP-NeuAc:(NeuAc alpha 2-->8)n (colominic acid) sialyltransferase activity in rat brain and in tumour cells that express polysialic acid on neural cell adhesion molecules

A method for the assay of CMP-NeuAc:(NeuAc alpha 2-->8)n (colominic acid) sialyltransferase activity was developed. Using a 1-day-old rat brain membrane fraction as an enzyme preparation optimal activity was obtained at pH 6.5, 0.3% Triton X-100, and 5 mM MnCl2. However, no absolute cation requirement was found as EDTA only partially inhibited the activity. Within a concentration range of 0.3-3 mg colominic acid (which consists of a mixture of oligomers of alpha 2-->8-linked sialic acid) per 50 microliters a V of 0.61 nmol per mg protein h-1 was estimated while a half-maximal reaction velocity was obtained at a concentration of 1.75 mg per 50 microliters. High performance anion-exchange chromatography of the radioactive products formed in the reaction showed that sialic acid oligomers ranging in size from a degree of polymerization (DP) of 2 up to at least DP 9 could serve as acceptor substrates. Comparison of the acceptor properties of DP 3 and DP 6 showed that the larger oligomer was acted upon with a 10-fold higher efficiency. Periodate oxidation of the products followed by reduction and hydrolysis yielded the C7 analogue of NeuAc as the only radioactive product, indicating that under the conditions of the assay only a single sialic acid residue was introduced into the acceptor molecules. Using the assay it appeared that in rat brain the activity of this sialyltransferase decreased six-fold during postnatal development to the adult stage. The assay method was also applied to lysates of several neuroblastoma and small cell lung tumour cell lines, which differ in the expression of polysialic acid as well as of the neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM, a major carrier of this polymer. Activity of the sialyltransferase appeared to be correlated with the expression of polysialic acid present on NCAM. These results indicate that this sialyltransferase might function in the process of poly-sialylation.

Developmental changes of ganglioside expressions in postnatal rat cerebellar cortex

We previously described the differential distribution of gangliosides in adult rat brain as detected by specific antibodies. We report here the distribution of gangliosides during the development of postnatal rat cerebellum by an immunofluorescence technique with mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Eleven mAbs that specifically recognize each ganglioside were used. Our study revealed that the expression of each ganglioside changed dramatically during the development. GD3 and O-Ac-GD3 were expressed intensely in the external granular layer at 1, 5, and 10 days, whereas GD2 was firstly detected in the internal granular layer at 5 days and GD1b WAS diffusely detected throughout all layers of the cerebellar cortex at early postnatal days. GD2 and GD1b were more intensely expressed in the granular layer at 20, 30, and 80 days, suggesting that premature granule cells expressed GD3 and its derivative, O-Ac-GD3, whereas mature granule cells express GD2 and GD1B intensely. On the other hand, GM1 was exclusively detected in the external granular layer and the molecular layer at 1 and 5 days. The staining sites spread gradually from these outer layers into the internal granular layer and the white matter after 10 days. The positive cells in the external granular layer and the molecular layer appeared to be Bergmann glial cells and their radially ascending cytoplasmic processes. The intensity of the staining in these specialized astroglial cells decreased gradually during postnatal days. In contrast, the expression of GQ1b was very faint at birth, but gradually increased during the development and was detected intensely in the internal granular layer, particularly in the cerebellar glomeruli in adulthood, suggesting that GQ1b expression may be associated with synapse-related structures. The developmental changes of the expression of other gangliosides were also recognized in the postnatal rat cerebellum. These results suggest that specific gangliosides may play an important role in regulating the early events responsible for the orderly formation of the cerebellar cortex.

A human STX cDNA confers polysialic acid expression in mammalian cells

Polysialic acid, or PSA, is a term used to refer to linear homopolymers of alpha(2,8)-sialic acid residues displayed at the surface of some mammalian cells. PSA is typically linked to the neural cell adhesion molecule N-CAM, where it can modulate the homotypic adhesive properties of this polypeptide. PSA expression is developmentally regulated, presumably through mechanisms involving regulated expression of sialyltransferases involved in PSA biosynthesis. Several different sialytransferase sequences have been implicated in PSA expression, although the precise roles of these enzymes in this context remain unclear. One such sequence, termed STX, maintains approximately 59% amino acid sequence identity with another sialyltransferase (PST-1, from hamster; PST, human) that is known to participate in PSA expression. While a murine STX fusion protein can catalyze the synthesis of a single alpha(2,8)-sialic acid linkage in vitro, the ability of STX to participate in PSA expression in vivo has not been demonstrated. We show here that STX transcripts are present in a PSA-positive, N-CAM-positive human small cell carcinoma line (NCI-H69/F3), but are absent in a variant of this line (NCI-H69/E2) selected to be PSA-negative and N-CAM-positive. To functionally confirm this correlation, we have cloned a human cDNA encoding the human STX sequence, and show, by transfection studies, that human STX can restore PSA expression when expressed in the PSA-negative, N-CAM-positive small cell carcinoma variant. We furthermore show that STX can confer PSA expression when expressed in a PSA-negative, N-CAM-positive murine cell line (NIH-3T3 cells), or when expressed in PSA-negative, N-CAM-negative COS-7 cells. These observations imply that STX, like PST-1/PST, can determine PSA expression in vivo. When considered together with the correlation between STX expression and PSA expression in vivo in the brain, these results suggest a regulatory role for STX in PSA expression in the developing central nervous system and small cell lung carcinoma.

The human UDP-N-acetylglucosamine: alpha-6-D-mannoside-beta-1,2- N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II gene (MGAT2). Cloning of genomic DNA, localization to chromosome 14q21, expression in insect cells and purification of the recombinant protein

UDP-GlcNAc:alpha-6-D-mannoside [GlcNAc to Man alpha 1-6] beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II (GlcNAc-T II, EC 2.4.1.143) is a Golgi enzyme catalyzing an essential step in the conversion of oligomannose to complex N-glycans. A 1.2-kb probe from a rat liver cDNA encoding GlcNAc-T II was used to screen a human genomic DNA library in lambda EMBL3. Southern analysis of restriction endonuclease digests of positive phage clones identified two hybridizing fragments (3.0 and 3.5 kb) which were subcloned into pBlueScript. The inserts of the resulting plasmids (pHG30 and pHG36) are over-lapping clones containing 5.5 kb of genomic DNA. The pHG30 insert (3.0 kb) contains a 1341-bp open reading frame encoding a 447-amino-acid protein, 250 bp of G + C-rich 5'-upstream sequence and 1.4 kb of 3'-downstream sequence. The pHG36 insert (3.5 kb) contains 2.75 kb of 5'-upstream sequence and 750 bp of the 5'-end of the open reading frame. The protein sequence showed the domain structure typical of all previously cloned glycosyltransferases, i.e. a short 9-residue putative cytoplasmic N-terminal domain, a 20-residue hydrophobic non-cleavable putative signal-anchor domain and a 418-residue C-terminal catalytic domain. Northern analysis of human tissues showed a major message at 3 kb and minor signals at 2 and 4.5 kb. There is no sequence similarity to any previously cloned glycosyltransferases including human UDP-GlcNAc:alpha-3-D-mannoside [GlcNAc to Man alpha 1-3] beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GlcNAc-T I) which has 445 amino acids with a 418-residue C-terminal catalytic domain. The human GlcNAc-T I and II genes (MGAT1 and MGAT2) map to chromosome bands 5q35 and 14q21, respectively, by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The entire coding regions of human GlcNAc-T I and II are each on a single exon. There is 92% identity between the amino acid sequences of the catalytic domains of human and rat GlcNAc-T II. Southern analysis of restriction enzyme digests of human genomic DNA indicates that there is only a single copy of the MGAT2 gene. The full-length coding region of GlcNAc-T II has been expressed in the baculovirus/Sf9 insect cell system, the recombinant enzyme has been purified to near homogeneity with a specific activity of about 20 mumol.min-1.mg-1 and the product synthesized by the recombinant enzyme has been identified by high-resolution 1H-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

Molecular cloning of Sia alpha 2,3Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase from mouse brain

A cDNA encoding a new alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8Sia III), which exhibits activity toward the Sia alpha 2,3Gal beta 1, 4GlcNAc sequences of N-linked oligosaccharides, was cloned from mouse brain by means of the polymerase chain reaction-based approach. The predicted amino acid sequence of ST8Sia III showed 27.6 and 34.4% identity with those of so far cloned mouse alpha 2,8-sialyltransferases, i.e. GD3 synthase (ST8Sia I) and STX (ST8Sia II), respectively. Transfection of the protein A-fused ST8Sia III gene into COS-7 cells led to alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase activity toward sialylated glycoproteins and alpha 2,3-sialylated glycosphingolipids, such as alpha 2,3-sialylparagloboside and GM3. However, the kinetic properties of ST8Sia III revealed that it is much more specific to N-linked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins than glycosphingolipids. The expression pattern of the ST8Sia III gene was clearly different from those of other alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase genes. The expression of the ST8Sia III gene was tissue and stage specific. The ST8Sia III gene was expressed only in brain and testis, and it appeared first in 20 postcoitum embryonal brain and then decreased. Therefore, the new alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase is closely involved in brain development.

Molecular cloning and expression of chick Gal beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase

A cDNA clone encoding chick Gal beta 1,3GalNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase (ST3Gal I) was isolated from a chick embryo brain cDNA library. The cDNA sequence included an open reading frame coding for 342 amino acids, and the deduced amino acid sequence showed 64% identity with that of the mouse enzyme. Northern blot analysis of chick embryos revealed that the ST3Gal I gene was expressed in early embryonic stages. The identity of the enzyme was confirmed by construction of a recombinant sialyltransferase in which the N-terminal part including the cytoplasmic tail and signal anchor domain was replaced with an immunoglobulin signal peptide sequence. This enzyme expressed in COS-7 cells exhibited transferase activity similar to that of mouse ST3Gal I.

Molecular characterization of eukaryotic polysialyltransferase-1

Polysialic acid (PSA) is a dynamically regulated product of post-translational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM. Presence of the large anionic carbohydrate modulates NCAM binding properties and, by increasing the intercellular space, influences interactions between other cell surface molecules. PSA expression underlies cell type- and developmental-specific alterations and correlates with stages of cellular motility. In the adult, PSA becomes restricted to regions of permanent neural plasticity and regenerating neural and muscle tissues. Recent data implicate its important function in spatial learning and memory, and in tumour biology. Here we describe the molecular characterization of polysialyltransferase-1, the key enzyme of eukaryotic PSA synthesis. In reconstitution experiments, the newly cloned enzyme induces PSA synthesis in all NCAM-expressing cell lines. Our data therefore represent convincing evidence that the polycondensation of alpha-2,8-linked sialic acids in mammals is the result of a single enzymatic activity and provide a new basis for studying the functional role of PSA in neuro- and tumour biology.

Enzymatic activity of a developmentally regulated member of the sialyltransferase family (STX): evidence for alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase activity toward N-linked oligosaccharides

We have detected sialyltransferase activity of recombinant mouse STX, which was cloned from rat brain as a new member of the sialyltransferase family, but sialyltransferase activity of which had not been detected previously [Livingston and Paulson, J. Biol. Chem. (1993) 268, 11504-11507]. The activity of mouse STX was specific toward sialylated glycoproteins. N-Glycanase treatment and linkage-specific sialidase treatment of glycoproteins revealed that STX transfers sialic acids through alpha 2,8-linkages to only N-linked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins. However, polymerase activity for polysialic acid synthesis was not detected for this sialyltransferase. Since this alpha 2,8-sialyltransferase gene is highly restricted in fetal and newborn brain, it may be involved in the polysialylation of glycoproteins, especially of N-CAM.

The sialyltransferase "sialylmotif" participates in binding the donor substrate CMP-NeuAc

All members of the sialyltransferase gene family cloned to date contain a conserved region, the "sialylmotif," consisting of 48-49 amino acids in the center of the coding sequence. To investigate the function of this motif, mutant constructs of the Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase were designed by site-directed mutagenesis, replacing 11 individual conserved amino acids with alanine. Each of the mutants was expressed in COS-1 cells, and eight of these retained sialyltransferase activity, allowing comparison of their enzymatic properties with that of the wild type enzyme. Kinetic analysis showed that six of eight mutants had a 3-12-fold higher Km for the donor substrate CMP-NeuAc relative to the wild type enzyme, while the Km values for the acceptor substrate were within 0.5-1.2-fold of the wild type for all eight mutants evaluated. The Ki of the donor substrate analog CDP was also evaluated for the recombinant sialyltransferase with the Val to Ala mutation at residue 220, which produced a 6-fold increase in Km of CMP-NeuAc. A corresponding increase in Ki of 3.4-fold was observed for CDP, indicating a decreased affinity for the cytidine nucleotide. Taken together, these results suggest that the conserved sialylmotif in the sialyltransferase gene family participates in the binding of the common donor substrate, CMP-NeuAc.